Watery Grave
by deaths calling card
Summary: When a pleasent day goes awry and Scipio's greatest of secrets is revealed, what will happen? Will he be able to stop Prosper from getting involved or spilling his secret? Might become PropScip.
1. Prologue

_What would happen if the boy in the plague mask was not just the boy underneath, but was just another mask? A mask made out of ivory? Here is my interpretation of Scipio's true face, of his mask and how it is revealed._

_There is going to be gore, blood, guts, implications of yaoi (boyxboy love: prosperxscipio and any pairings I see fit), sadism, masochism, angst, and all that jazz. If you have a problem with it, you have been warned. Flames will be used to burn Mrs. Lovett and make more meat pies._

_If you wish to adopt this story/idea I would be most pleased, just inform me. I know for a fact I will not be updating frequently, forgive me, but once again, you have been warned._

_Sadly I do not own anyone or anything related to The Thief Lord. If I did I would be extremely rich and there would be more truth in my ideas than that of just random notions my brain came up with while I was asleep._

_Ps: this is just a teaser of sorts. Haha I left you hanging at the end too. Hope you enjoy it. The more feedback on it I get, the more I will write._

_Watery Grave_

_Slight au-ish, follows book verse for the most part, though I have Scipio not going on the merry-go-round but still living with his father, but not sent away to school._

_It had all been fun. Completely harmless fun. There had been no ill intentions, no malice, no deceit, just plain, harmless fun. And yet it had ended in tragedy, something they thought they had left behind with most of their troubles and the merry-go-round. _

_The whole group, Riccio, Hornet, Mosca, Prosper, Bo, even Scipio had gone out for fun all together, something that hadn't been a possibility because of how busy their thief lord had been over the last few weeks or so, especially over the past few days they hadn't seen him at all. _

_But this early morning the mask wearing boy had appeared at the Stella with a bag over his shoulder filled to the brim with heavy treasures, if one could tell from the strain it seemed to put on the older boy, as well as the noise the bag made whenever Scipio had moved. _

_According to Scipio, he had gotten quite a haul, though he wouldn't say from where, only that the treasures were going to be sorely missed by those who had once possessed them. _

_And not only did the thief lord return bearing gifts, Prosper had gotten one of the greatest deals they had ever gotten with Barbarossa, getting more lira than they could count. It seemed even the red beard had his limits to how well he could swindle and how well constructed his poker face was. _

_According to Riccio, when they had pulled out one of the items in particular the balding man's eyes had lit up like a fireworks' display, giving Prop the upper hand in the dealings._

_So far it had been more than a fantastic day, which lead them to San Marco to the Campo Morosino. _

_So far they had done a bit of well earned splurging, purchasing more food of higher quality, books for Hornet, some tool for Mosca and his boat, Prosper and Bo new coats, and more cakes than even Riccio could count from one of the pasticcerias. Now they were all either lounging about the square, or in Bo's case trying to reach one of the birds that had alighted in the fountain, causing Prosper to stand near him, fretting as always. _

_Some time during Bo's attempts to reach the bird he accidentally splashed Prosper, causing the boy to become quite befuddled as water dripped down his face, which, in turn, caused everyone else to burst into a fit of laughter. Even Scipio was laughing, and it had seemed forever sense the older boy had laughed._

_Pretty soon everyone was involved in a splashing war by the fountain, not bothered by anyone else since not many tourists were around because of some show going on nearby. Riccio and Mosca seemed to be having the greatest of times, they getting much more competitive than the others, even dragging Hornet from her book when Riccio had accidentally splashed water her way. _

_Now it was Hornet who was giving everyone a run for their money as she drenched Riccio in the spray, chastising him for being childish with each splash, repeating over and over that if he had ruined her book he was going to be in for it._

_Prosper was grinning from ear to ear, watching everyone else have a great time, his little brother looked so happy, it really warmed his heart. The brunette turned his attention to Scipio, who seemed to be hanging back a bit. Well, he was going to change that._

_Smiling mischievously Prosper reached foreword and splashed the older boy, the water hitting Scip right in the face, causing his dark brown locks to stick to his face, surprising the overly grownup acting boy, who was now blinking confusedly as if he didn't understand what had happened. _

_Everyone was laughing, watching the older boy shake himself off, laughing genuinely, smiling brightly as he reached a hand up to his drenched face to wipe away some of the water. _

_It was only after that that his face seemed to fall, no longer laughing, his face serious- complexion almost ashen in comparison to his usual ivory face. His dark eyes were focused on his hand, the eyes widening exponentially. _

_Prosper was the first to notice the change in the teen as he stared at him, eyes questioning before his face to fell, his mouth gaping, eyes transfixed. _

_Scipio's hand found itself obscuring the ivory face, head down, dark locks now blocking him from view before the male had turned on his heel and fled, moving so swiftly as if the devil himself was on his heels. _

_Prosper was left staring at where the other had been standing, his heart pounding harshly in his ears, oblivious to the other's concerned voices which now seemed to be nothing more than white noise as the boy still stared, mouth still gaping, unable to believe what he had just seen. _

_After all, it had to be a trick of some sort. Scip's face was still ivory. It was just the light- it had to be, there was no way that what he had seen was really there. _

_There was no possible way. There just couldn't be…_

_But as many times as Prosper told himself this, his heart wouldn't slow down, if any thing, it seemed to pound even faster against his ribcage. _

_His chest ached, but whether it was from his heart beating so erratically or what he thought he had seen he didn't know, he just wished it was only the former. He didn't think he could handle any more pain._

_Ooooooooo what is wrong with Scipio's face? ^^ Haha you will never know unless I get some feedback. ^^ And hopefully when I do get feedback it won't take me too long to get the next piece up. Oh if you knew what I knew you would feel bad for the poor little Massimo. Go Massimo whumpage!_


	2. Ch1 Old Memories

Watery Grave.

-Same warnings as before. I do not own the Thief Lord, I am merely borrowing the characters and manipulating them to my fickle will.

Once inside the old theatre with its upturned plush seats, their previously bright red hue further fading away, the swing they had constructed still swaying in a nonexistent breeze, the star emblazoned curtains-

None of them could stop the feeling of nostalgia that seemed to hit them full force like a speeding motor boat, and there was no hiding it either. The place's effects easily visible in each of the five pairs of eyes. Though that did not mean that the two other pairs of eyes were immune to the old theatre's charm.

"It is lovely. I can see why you would call this place home." Remarked the tall blonde photographer, lifting the camera hanging from a thick strap around her neck and lifting it to her eyes and snapping away.

"Yes. Yes. Lovely." The tone Victor used certainly spoke of his time he spent at the Stella as a captive. "Much better than that dark room."

At the last remark every one of the children grinned knowingly, though Riccio had the decency to blush, his ears turning a rich pink from his embarrassment.

"Dark room?" Inquired Ida as she lowered the camera, looking around curiously, drawing laughter from almost everyone.

"Nothing Ida." The detective quickly interjected, though in vain.

"We may or may not have tied Victor up and held him captive in a bathroom." Answered Prosper with a smile, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, drawing even more laughter.

The youngest just grinned as he held Ida's hand. "Yeah. We tied him up. But we let him go later." Bo reassured her with a sweet, near angelic smile that made anyone think he was perfect and could never do any wrong.

"Well I am glad for that Bo." Ida said affectionately, tousling the blonde hair, causing the kid to practically glow, making Prosper and Hornet to grin.

"Yes. Yes. We are all quite glad." Responded the detective, still sulking at the fact that he was not only outwitted by children, but he was held captive by them. And now they were gloating about it.

"Don't sound so put out Victor. They could have been worse on you, you know. After all, you were the one snooping." Chided the photographer with a knowing smile and a conspirator-like wink at the children.

"Yeah Victor the Snoop." Teased Riccio with the detectives acquired title from anyone who had been on the detective's bad side, though his laughter stopped when he received an elbow to the gut from an innocent smiling Hornet.

- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord-

Boniface wandered up the stairs, childish curiosity getting the better of him as he moved from the group, exploring the place he had called home at one time. It seemed the same but so much more different now than it had.

He continued to wander the old theatre, moving past the swing and what remained of the faded red chairs and toward the stairs which led to the next floor, to the rooms they had made into their respective bedrooms.

He had liked the bedroom he and Prosper had stayed in. It had been so nice. He wondered if it was still the same as they had left it. His steps became quicker as his curiosity was piqued, his footsteps relatively mollified by what remained of the carpet.

The small child peered through the door opening, looking around, expression confused as he saw the pile of books that Hornet had left in their room after reading to him at night were spread across the floor, along with other knickknacks they had left behind. What's more, their seemed to be foreign articles of clothing lying about.

It was all so strange. Thought the young blonde as he looked around the room, uncharacteristically quiet in his observing, or at least he was until he approached the mattress near the wall.

Someone was lying there amongst the rumpled blankets.

The young boy moved closer to the person who lay in a crumpled heap, getting to his knees when he was next to the mattress, lifting a hand cautiously to the person, pushing back the blanket that obscured the person's face.

"You're alright. It's okay." The blonde whispered to the other when the motion of brushing off the blankets had seemed to awaken the other briefly. The other merely whimpered, seeming to delve deeper into the constructed cocoon of blankets.

"You will be alright." Bo continued, brushing the other's hair, looking concerned for the other, feeling the need to protect the sleeping figure who seemed so sad and sick, if the chattering teeth and pale complexion said anything about their state of health.

- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord-

It was only after Prosper had wanted to ask Bo if he wanted to go to the San Marco Plaza to go play at the park that he, and in turn everyone else, realized that his little brother was no longer with the group. The discovery sparked panic among them, though some certainly contained it better.

"He is probably just exploring." Suggested Ida, though she looked nervous.

"Yeah. He is probably looking for more kittens to play with." Riccio put in, Mosca nodding in agreement, though both of them looking a little nervous, especially when Prosper's pale, scared face turned to them.

The memories of the Hartliebs was still too fresh in his mind- in all their minds to really just agree with Bo just playing around.

"We will find him Prop. Now, why don't you and Hornet look through Bo's usual hiding place and Riccio and Mosca go to the next floor to look for him there. Me and Victor will look down here." Said Ida, taking charge of the situation, hoping to diffuse the panic before the boy went insane with worry.

However, Ida's placating tone did nothing to ease Prosper's nerves and he began to call for his little brother, the others quickly falling suit.

- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord-

At the thundering footsteps and shouting, the little boy looked up from his recently acquired charge, running a hand over the other's face. "It's okay. It's okay." Bo whispered, looking over his shoulder toward the room's opening.

"I will be right back. Promise." He finished as he got to his feet and quickly pattered over to the doorway and looking around before spotting the shouting, panicking group. "Shhhhh!" Bo said rather loudly, holding a finger over his mouth.

At his words both Prosper and Hornet looked up from the room they were about to look through and turned toward Bo before running toward him. "Bo!" Prosper yelled, sliding to a stop in front of the boy and kneeling in front of him, hands on his little brother's shoulders.

"Shhhh!" Said Boniface, though Prosper and Hornet, who had now situated herself by Prosper's side, did not seem to hear him.

"Bo! What do you think you were doing running off like that! You-"

"Shhhhhhhhh!" Interrupted the blonde, his expression cross, thus proving to not only be surprising, but completely ludicrous. It might even have been considered laughable had Bo not looked so serious. And now it was Prosper's turn to look more than a little confused.

"You are going to wake him up." Whispered Bo, arms crossed over his chest, looking as if he was not going to take any deviances from his request for them to be quiet.

"What are you talking about Bo?" Asked Hornet, seeming to be a little annoyed at not understanding.

"Who are we going to wake up Bo?" Prosper clarified, looking around uncertainly, apprehensive at the turn of events.

Who would be at the Stella? Now at all times? They had all left it. All of them had. Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, and himself and Bo were now living at the Spavento household. And all of the older boys helped at Victor's investigative profession for fun. And Victor and Ida were getting cozy together so it was only a matter of time. So who would be at the old, abandoned theatre?

"Who is here Bo?" He asked again in a quiet tone, humoring the child, wanting answers more than anything.

"He is." Bo whispered, indicating the figure sprawled across the mattress in a heap, wrapped in a cocoon of what could be considered rags more than blankets.

Prosper stood, putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder, indicating him to stay back before he proceeded hesitantly into the room, moving steadily closer the mattress he and Bo had once slept in.

The brunette did not need to kneel next to the mattress to see the person's face. He did not need to lean over them to look at them, to stare. But his body seemed to think otherwise as he sunk to the ground, hovering over the exposed side of the figure's pale, ashen face.

"Hornet." He whispered, not even registering that his words were barely more than wispy breaths. "Hornet. Get Ida. Get Victor. Help. Get help." He continued in the same, quiet, strained voice, eyes wide, breaths coming in short spurts, fear etched once more into his warn face. "Get help. Please. Please."


	3. Ch2 Assessment

Watery Grave Ch.2 Assessment

-Same warnings as previously stated. I do not own Thief Lord nor the characters, I am merely borrowing them for the time being.

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The next minutes were crucial, a flurry of movement and confusion with only one thought prevailing through the madness- time is of the essence. The young girl seemed to fly through the air, stumbling as she did so in her haste to reach the floor below. Thoughts of yelling to the others did not reach the surface of her mind as the thought of moving quickly and returning with either adult the only cognizant one.

Her side collided with the once gilded banister which ran parallel to the stairs, crying out at the pain such a jolt racked through her. However she continued to move, not forgetting the panicked expression that seemed livid on Prosper's face. She leaped down the last few steps, landing at the bottom, stumbling but persevering, easily getting to her feet once more, the pain in her side and leg, which she had jarred when she landed, forgotten.

"Ida! Victor!" The words seemed slurred, in her panic, breathing unnaturally shallow as she ran to the two adults who were still looking for their lost charge, having not yet been informed that the little boy had been found upstairs. "Ida! Ida!" She cried, causing the blonde photographer to turn, fear and confusion flashing through her hazel eyes.

"What's wrong with Bo? Did you find him? Is he alright?" Although the pretty signora was usually the most level headed out of the bunch next to Prosper- unless it concerned his brother- but with the situation with Bo never explained and the look of terror etched into Hornet's usually calm face did nothing for the photographer's frayed nerves. Already the young signora was thinking of a hundred and one scenarios, all of which ended in heartbreaking vividness of death or worse.

Seeing the effect of her words Hornet tried to compose herself, trying to breathe so that she could explain to Ida what had happened. She was about to explain when she found her repreive from words extending as Victor soon moved toward the two of them, shortly followed by Riccio and Mosca, all of them most likely drawn to her yells. The only good thing she could find about the larger audience was that she would only have to explain herself once.

Taking a deep breath the brunette began, "Prop and I were upstairs, looking for Bo when we found him. He's alright," She added the last part quickly, wanting to assure them that that was not the problem "But when we found him we found someone else." She continued, she herself confused as well as they were. "But it doesn't matter! We have to go!" She cried in somewhat exasperation, only knowing that Prosper had told her to get help and she had promised she would. She grabbed on to Ida's hand and began to drag the woman with her, though she soon did not have to as the others seemed to sense the urgency of the situation and moved quickly up the flight of stairs to the next floor while the young girl explained as best she could.

"When we found Bo he was telling us to be quiet or we would wake him up, whoever he may be. We had asked him who he was and he had pointed into the room that Prosper and Bo used to stay in and there was someone lying on the bed. Prop told me and Bo to stay outside while he went to see this person. And when he saw him he yelled at me to get help."

By the time she finished explaining what she could they had reached the barren hallway leading toward the enclosures they had turned into rooms. When they approached the doorway indicated they were left peering into the darkness, the room not being lighted, trying to discern the three figures they knew to be in the room.

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- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord- the thief lord-

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It seemed that the room had suddenly become airless, oxygen becoming more evasive, lungs suffering from the prolonged oxygen deprivation. The teen had to steel himself as he tried to assess what he could about the figure lying before him. He looks so vulnerable. He thought as he stared at the brunette whose face seemed depleted entirely of color, going far beyond pale ivory, seeming grey and translucent, blue veins visible along the surface. The only color cast by the obvious darkness under the boy's eyelids and his blue stained lips. He looked dead. In fact, if Prosper did not have his fingers placed against the other's pulse point, feeling the weak, yet unwavering beats he would have thought otherwise.

From what he could see of the figure before him was foreboding to say the least. It seemed that he had gone several days without eating, looking even worse than he and Bo had when they were first brought to the Stella which seemed a life time ago.

The dark locks were completely askew, parts of it matted to his scalp, with what, Prosper did not want to guess. Little tremors ran through the almost broken looking frame, causing the concerned teen to fret even more. The boy looked so damaged. It was a wonder that he was even alive.

So lost in his thoughts that the teen did not notice movement near him until the blonde locks of his brother came into view. Prosper looked up quickly, worrying his bottom lip, staring at his little brother who looked up as well before indicating the bundle of blankets he was holding.

"Good idea Bo." He told the little boy as he helped him pull more blankets over the shivering figure. How could he not have thought of that? The other's teeth chattering seemed a fairly obvious indication that the other felt cold, even in the warm autumn conditions of Venice. The brunette continued to chastise himself as he rested his hand on the sleeping boy's shoulder, rubbing gentle circles into it, hoping to offer some comfort to the boy who continued to whimper, teeth still chattering, heart beats still weak, breath seeming near nonexistent.

"God Scip. What happened to you?"

"What are you saying Scip? Are you trying to tell us what happened? I want to know. God Scip I want to know. Where did you go all this time?" Prosper asked quietly, a small catch forming in his throat as tears welled up in the corners of his usually so warm eyes.

The small hand resting on his own made Prosper look up, a heartbroken smile pasted across his features. "What do you think he is saying Bo?" He asked the little boy with a watery smile, his eyes stinging with repressed tears.

Bo focused his attention of the fallen thief lord, staring at the boy's moving lips, a small frown gracing his cherub face as he leaned closer, tilting his head to one side so his ear was closer, a flicker of panic evident as he stared imploringly at his older brother. "I don't think he's saying something Prop…" The way he said this caused Prosper to jerk foreword, all other thought abandoned as he gazed back and forth between the ashen, anguished painted face and the scared expression of his brother.

"I think he's screaming…"


	4. Ch3 Assertion

Watery Grave Chapter 3- Collection.

-Same warnings as previously stated. I do not own thief lord nor the lovely characters, merely borrowing them for a short while. Also, so sorry for the terrible delays. I am quite forgetful. Feel free to chuck things at me.

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Realization can be the starting point of any great endeavor. It can also be the beginning of the end…

It had been quite awhile since anyone could remember seeing the brunette. Over a year right? Perhaps it was Boniface's birthday, though that was over eighteen months ago. But if he really thought about it, and Prosper felt guilt roil in his stomach, none of the group had rarely seen him after the first month or so of the children officially leaving the Stella.

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The following weeks after the wooden wing and merry-go-round debacle were certainly hectic for the rag tag group of children.

Between originally being assigned the task by an unknown benefactor in a confessional located in one of the many cathedrals constructed along the peninsula near the Mediterranean, the revelation of the great Thief Lord's less than honest life as the son of the honorable Dottore Massimo, the actual theft and discovery by the owner of the wing, further dabbling with the count and being revealed the merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters-

No one could question that a child's life was far simpler than that of their adult counterparts.

Certainly their lives would have become much simpler if they all had accepted Signora Ida's invitation to stay with her in her large house, though only Hornet, Prosper, and Bo had accepted. Mosca and Riccio had declined and instead stayed in the Stella after Victor had managed to 'accidentally' leave one of the entrances unbarred up as the others had been, perfectly unperturbed at the thought of living off the money Scipio brought them from his father's menagerie of gilded trinkets.

Originally when it had been revealed, all of the children of the Stella were beyond forgiving and forgetting that their seeming leader was nothing but a lying rich boy, though eventually, after everything that had transpired with the Counte's request, they had forgiven the boy. And it did help that the boy continued to provide all of them the lira they had still desperately needed.

Regardless…

The sound of laughter permeated the air as the occupants of the Spavento household and their guests enjoyed a picnic styled dinner in the gardenia. Both adult and child alike were all smiles and good cheer as the sated their stomachs and need for pleasant company.

It was going on five weeks since the merry-go-round, Hornet, Prosper, and Bo settled in Ida's home as her children, and Victor on his way to becoming Ida's husband, as was evident by the shiny band on Ida's finger. Everything seemed to be falling into its rightful place, much like puzzle pieces.

Or so it might seem to some.

It was not missed by the group that they seemed to see Scipio less and less as the pandemonium seemed to die down, though no one seemed all that surprised. Judging by what they had seen that evening of unmasking the thief lord's identity, his father had quite the vice like grip over his son and his actions, something which seemed to have increased since they had stepped on to the Dottore's doorstep.

Victor had also informed them that he had heard the elder Massimo considering sending his son out of the country for some high class prep school.

It was not as though they no longer saw him though, in fact, it appeared that they saw him far more often than they had when they had all been living at the Stella together. He usually came by the house once or twice a week, though his visits were often quite brief, not that anyone really cared.

Despite the apologies on his side, as well as their acceptance on theirs, the relationship they shared with him was dulling as the days went by. Prosper seemed to be the only one who really seemed to be unchanged, save for Bo, though Bo never seemed to care for such distinctions anyway.

What was worrying though was that despite his more frequent visits, the boy seemed all the more distant, perhaps made even more obvious by his frequent appearances. One can not notice something when it was not present. Though the mask the boy dawned often enough was memorable on its own.

Prosper had made several comments about his observations, but both Riccio and Mosca reassured him that Scip was fine, that he was often at the Stella. This revelation surprised Prosper, but he could understand the other's reasoning for wanting to be there, what with all the happy memories there. Despite that though, Prosper still felt slightly unnerved at the older boy's distance. But, with his friends' assurances, he let the worry fade away. Even the worry he felt when Scipio's visits were always veiled by his infamous mask.

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Prosper had to bite his tongue to keep the saline that threatened to spill forth from the corners of his eyes. How could he have been so stupid?

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"I don't think he is saying anything Prop, I think he's screaming."

With such a revelation, one expects something more dramatic in the background- people running to in thro as if trapped in a storm, sirens ringing through the streets, even an explosion perhaps. The only response given was another pained, dry sob from the brunette who finally felt true helplessness.

And there was no comfort his little brother could offer him that would, in any way, ease the pain he felt condensed in his chest.

Bo looked on in hurt and sympathy, recognizing the pain his brother felt, he too feeling it as well. Looking around for something further he could do to bring any help, he saw the members of his surrogate family standing within the doorway.

Their appearance brought a small smile to the little boy's lips, knowing that although he could not be of much help, they would.

The blonde raised a hand to his brother's shoulder, hoping to bring him comfort before thinking better of disturbing him. The choking sobs still were issuing from his lips, though slightly muffled, the brunette having raised a hand in the hopes of containing his sorrows.

Bo looked pained when he saw his older brother like this, the boy always being a rock in their relationship, holding it together- for Bo.

He looked to the doorway, pleading to them with large, red rimmed eyes. And his prayers were answered.

Hornet, Riccio, and Mosca had been ushered into the hall by Ida, she placating them, informing them that right now, the less people were in the room, the better the boy could be helped.

Not once did she say Scipio's identity, in fact, no one said anything as to the person's identity at all. It either did not need to be addressed- they all could hazard a guess as to who would seek refuge in the Stella, or it could be attributed to just how caring and sympathetic everyone was- that they all felt obligated to help another child in need.

As the other children were being addressed, Victor had entered the room, quickly evaluating Scipio's condition, or at least what was visible of it.

The child- and he was a child, as much as the boy hated the denotation, he was but a young child, made even more visibly so by how vulnerable he appeared, lying helplessly on the mat- was in serious need.

The sobs still permeated the air, but Victor ignored them for now. The injured boy needed him more. He knelt by the mat on the other side.

Ida had now entered the room, scooping up Bo into her arms and holding him close, knowing better than trying to move him away from his brother. Instead she just carded a calloused hand through his angelic blonde hair, trying to reign her own emotions in.

She wished to phone the hospital now. It appeared serious enough to her, but Victor had told her before to let him check the boy over first.

Why- she could hazard a guess. The boy was the son of an very affluent and wealthy man, a man who was held in high standing. And if his son, his only son was in such a state and not in the protective custody of his father and instead hiding in an abandoned theatre- there was cause for concern.

Her eyes which had focused so despairingly on the once ivory face, now moved to the trembling form of her son, still sobbing. Her heart went out to both of them, knowing how close Prosper was to Scipio, and how seeing him after so long in such a state.

She was drawn from him by movement closer to the wall, Victor getting to his feet, almost… shakily, ringing his large palms which were covered in-

"We need to call that ambulance Ida."


End file.
